1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image transfer system and, more particularly, to an image transfer system comprising a transfer device which can be operably connected to a computer.
2. Prior Art
There are examples in the prior art of image transfer systems comprising an image transfer device coupled to one or more computers. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,738 which provides a copying machine print manager system which comprises a terminal connected to a copying machine. Generally, copying machines in the prior are capable of performing only a given set of functions regardless of whether the copying machine is connected to a computer or not.
One object of the present invention is to provide a software and user interface (UI) solution for enriching personal and desktop copier feature sets by utilizing the processing power and memory capacity of a connected personal computer. In accordance with this goal, the present invention addresses the software and UI enablers that allow a document to be scanned at the multifunction device; the device sending the data to the PC to perform enriched copier/printer capabilities such as collation. The PC performs the enriched task and sends the new instructions back to the multifunction device for output. Another object of the present invention provides for initiation of the job to take place at the device, so the user need not know the PC is involved in the process. This invention also addresses feature buttons embedded in an UI display on the device which are visible and operational when a PC is connected to the device, and the underlying software that would enable them.